Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid
by kelles
Summary: Mangaverse: Take place after the trip to South America. Seras gets angry at Pip after she overhears Pip talking about his past. She hurts him with words of their own but it ends with fluff. Written for the 30Hugs LJ community.


Seras should have known the evening was going to end like this – in another argument. It seemed like that is all the two of them did since they returned from Brazil. The strangest thing was that she didn't even know why this fight had upset her more than the others. This time she couldn't even blame it on him.

Even as Integral gave her the order, Seras knew it was a bad idea. Even if it was a bad idea, she couldn't refuse to do it. She had tried to avoid the assignment but her luck had run out and when it did, he was there observing it all. Seras had wanted to wipe that smug smile off his face in the worst way. If only Integral and Alucard hadn't been in the room.

"I need the assignment we discussed completed by tonight, Seras. If the soldiers need more supplies, Walter needs to order them tomorrow."

"Assignment?" Seras thought maybe she could play dumb. It was not fair that she had to do something for them. He should tell Integral what supplies his men needed.

"Yes Seras, you do remember the conversation we had last week. Or have you done it already?" Integral asked, her frustration was evident in her voice.

"Oh that assignment!" Seras did her best to feign a look of surprise. "Sir, you mean the inventory of the weapons, ammunition, and other supplies for the **Geese**." Seras shot Pip a dirty look. This shouldn't even be her job.

"I need it done by tomorrow morning so Walter can place the order when he wakes up." Integral said calmly. If it had been someone else she may have been mad but not with Seras. The girl had not asked to be brought into this world and she certainly tried hard enough. "Is there a problem, Seras?" She asked.

"No…no problem, Sir." Seras said

"Good, I'll let Walter know."

Seras glared at Pip even after Integral left the room. "I'll be back in an hour, Captain. I have to print off the inventory list from the computer _." And get changed, _he thought. _There is no way I'm wearing my uniform if I'll be on the floor rummaging through the storage area. _

Seras slipped on a pair of blue jeans and a black t-shirt and printed out the documents from the computer. She grabbed a bag of blood and drank it slowly trying to put off the inevitable. Seras finally left her room and went to the barracks. Sir Integral was counting on her, after all. She didn't want to disappoint her chief.

She could hear the loud voices of the men and their laughter the second she stepped into the hallway. _Oh great,_ she thought, _they've been drinking._ The last time she saw the Captain drunk she had nearly thrown him across the room. _He made such a bloody arse out of himself, _she thought. If any of them say anything perverted to me, they will regret it.

Seras knocked on the door to the barracks. She wanted to give them some warning just in case they were reading dirty magazines or watching pornographic movies. One of Pip's officers answered the door. She could tell by the grin on his face that he was drunk. "Hello Joseph," Seras said.

"He-llo Seras. Hey, you look different. What did you do?" He studied her trying to figure it out.

"It's my clothes. I don't have on my uniform." Sears glared at him and wondered if all men lost their brains when they drunk.

"Oh yeah. Sorry 'bout that. Are you 'ere to see the Captain?" He asked.

"No," she said. Did he not even tell them? She wondered getting madder by the moment.

"What are you doing, Joey?" Pip walked up behind his officer. "Why haven't you invited the pretty lady in?" He winked at Seras.

"Think I've had too much to drink. Sorry 'bout that. I'll leave your lady to you." Joseph turned around and headed towards the small kitchen to retrieve another beer.

"Your what?" Seras asked. _What has he been telling them?_

Pip chuckled as he moved his eye up and down Seras' body. Subtlety was not one of his strengths. "Come in, Seras and don't pay any mind to him. He's been drinking since 9:00 AM. He got a bit of bad news from his girlfriend."

Seras followed him in to the barracks and tried to ignore the men's stares. "Bad news?"

"Yes, she's getting married to someone else." Pip walked towards the supply closets. "Here is where the ammo and guns are kept. The medical supplies we take out on the field are kept in those closets. And all of the other supplies are in that cabinet over there." Pip pointed to a cabinet behind him. "I'm going to get another beer. Would you like one, Seras?"

"Captain! I'm working."

"Oh yeah, pardon moi." He replied. "If I hadn't drank so much, I'd offer to help but I'd probably only make your job harder."

Seras nodded in agreement. "It's okay, Captain. Sir Integral wants me to do it." She started to walk over to the supply closets when Pip touched her shoulder. She froze. His touch made her feel so funny inside.

"Mignonette, when you're done, we'll have a drink." He grinned at her.

Seras blushed at Pip's statement. There was that feeling again, funny but nice. "Maybe, Captain, if it isn't too late. Umm, I better get started."

Pip stared at her arse as she walked away. He had not noticed how nice it was before. It never looked this good in her uniform. _Damn, I have got to find a way to get her into my bed,_ he thought, as he felt himself grow harder.

"Captain! C'mon, we're starting a new game of poker." One of the soldiers called from the other room.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." He yelled back. _Although I'd rather stay here and watch the police girl, _he mused. Pip took one last look and left Seras to her work.

● ● ●

Seras took inventory of the supplies in the back of the room, first. It was the furthest away from the room where Pip and the Geese were carrying on. She didn't really mind them too much. They were a good bunch of men even if they a bit wild. As she listened to them laugh, Seras was reminded of the men in her own police unit. Of course the Geese were wilder but in some ways they were just the same. If Pip didn't tease or flirt with her so much, she wouldn't mind him. He was good with his men and had been kind to her. He was the first person she had met since becoming a vampire that didn't treat her different because of what she was. And it had rubbed off on his men. They treated her just like the men in her unit had. She smiled remembering them all.

_Damn,_ she thought,_ that was quick._ Seras couldn't believe she had finished with the medical and miscellaneous supplies. It had been easier than she expect. She eyed cabinets for the gun and ammo. _Well, I guess there is no avoiding it. I just wish my hearing was not so bloody sensitive. _ The Geese would be on the other side of the wall where she was working. Seras would be able to hear everything they say _. I'll never be able to concentrate now. _

Seras started the inventory of the gun cabinet. She was halfway done when the men's conversation started to bother her. A lot. Seras tried to block their voices out, think about other things, anything, but nothing seemed to work. And what made it worst was what they were talking about. A few times she had to start counting the items all over again, the conversation distracted her so much.

"Captain, do you remember that night in Columbia? Man, that one girl, the one we met at the bar, she sure as hell didn't hide her feelings. She practically attacked you in the bar."

"Yeah Captain, where did you end up doing her?" Another voice asked.

_Doing her?_ Seras mouthed the words. Pip was even more perverted than she thought.

"Hey, I saw it. She went down on him right in the bar, in the fucking bar! Why don't I ever get that lucky?" Another of the Goose said. His voice sounded younger than the others.

"It is simple," Pip said, "you don't have my looks or charm." The room erupted in laughter.

"Is that all you did, Captain?"

"No, that girl and me, we had fun all night. She was the prettiest girl I'd seen in a long time, not like the whores they have in London. Sometimes I don't know why I even accepted this job. We could be back in Columbia you know, where it is warm, sunny, and all of those dark beautiful women. They called me right after I took this job. Damn, I must be crazy." Pip said.

"No you're not. You'd have to be crazy not to take this job. We're being paid triple what we did in Uganda and we don't have any of the expenses. My wife was plenty happy with the money I wired her. You bastards should stay away from those dirty whores anyway, especially you Captain. You need to find you a nice girl." The young man told Pip.

Pip laughed out loud. "A nice girl? Hugh, I don't know how you got such a nice girl and pretty too – you got one ugly mug. But me? I don't have a chance in hell of getting me a nice girl. I'm a mercenary. We all are. Just soldiers for hire, you might as well say we kill for money. Shit, I don't deserve a nice girl. I do like my whores to be a bit prettier and it would help if they were clean. Those girls in Columbia….I could get used to it there. But, you're right; the money we're getting is a good reason to take this job. When the job is over, if we survive, I'm going to take a little vacation in Columbia. Hell, I might pay for two whores for a night."

"Hey are we going to talk all night or play some poker? I want to win me some cash." Another Geese spoke.

The words hit her like a ton of bricks. Seras felt like she had been punched in the gut. Was this who the Captain was? Were sex and money all he cared about? The words hurt her more than she wanted to admit. She could not concentrate on the inventory. She counted the box of shotgun shells five times before getting it right. Damn you, Pip, she thought. Why do you have to be such an arse?

Seras struggled through the rest of the inventory. Thankfully, the conversation in the next room stayed on cards and sports. They argued about the best football teams and accused each other of cheating. Seras almost wondered if she had imagined the conversation earlier.

She was double-checking the reports when Pip knocked on the door. "Seras? How'd you make out?" Pip asked.

Seras didn't even look up at him. "Fine, Captain, just fine. I'm just about done." Her voice was devoid of all emotions.

Pip grinned at her. "Oh good, hey, I'll go get you a drink. Do you want beer or glass a wine?"

"I don't know, Captain it is kind of late and…" She looked up and he was already headed towards the refrigerator for their drinks, which only made Seras madder. Seras put all of her papers and books in a pile and sighed in relief. At least she had finally finished; she wouldn't disappoint Integral.

"C'mon girlie, come have a drink." Pip walked over and set their drinks down on the table.

Seras considered protesting but decided against it. She was just too tired to argue. Sometimes it was just easier to be polite. Seras sat down and picked up the drink.

Pip asked her questions about the inventory and she just replied in one word answers or nodded her head. Seras was not in the mood for talking.

"What is wrong, Seras? I don't get you., I don't get you at all." Pip lit a cigarette. If he ever needed one, now was the time.

"Me? I'm easy to get. Wait I didn't mean that, with your perverted mind who knows what you'll think! Do you want to know what is wrong Captain? I'll tell you. I bust my arse out on the missions we go on to protect you and your men but it turns out that all **you** care about is the check you are going to get from Sir Integral. Don't you care about anything at all?" Seras glared at him. She couldn't hide her anger from him any more.

Pip was at a loss for words. She had heard everything he and his men had been talking about? No wonder she's so angry, he thought. "Seras, wait---"

"No Captain. I'm sick of your crude comments and dirty songs. And your looks! Do you think I don't know when your staring at my arse? I'm not like those girls you see in London or Columbia."

Pip grinned at her. "I know, Seras. You're nothing like those girls."

His behavior only made her angrier. "If you really don't care what happens to my country, then just leave. Go to Columbia and do whatever is it you do. I don't know why Walter or Sir Integral hired you and your men. Don't they know that mercenaries only care about money?"

Her words stung **him** this time. Memories of being teased by the other children, calling his family murders and hit men ran through his head. Maybe he did deserve it for saying all that he did when he knew she was near but Pip couldn't remember when words had hurt him more. He didn't know what to say so he just sat down and said nothing. Pip looked down at the table and opened his beer.

Seras regretted her words as soon as they left her mouth. Pip's light-hearted mood had changed to a sullen one. "Captain, I-I-I.."

"No, suppose it's true, Police Girl." Pip took another swig of beer. "You better go now, it's almost morning."

"Yes, Captain." Seras said and left the room. She wanted to say she was sorry to make up for hurting him but it was obvious that he didn't want to talk. She reached the door and turned around, she couldn't leave things like this.

"Captain, I-I-I'm sorry for saying that. I really had no right to judge you. It's just hearing you talk like that…" Seras stopped talking and watched him for his reaction.

Pip took a drink of his beer and couldn't help but smile a little at what she said. _So the police girl does care and she didn't like me talking about those Columbian girls. _

He stood up and pushed a strand of the vampire's hair from her eyes. "Silly girl. Don't you know that you can't believe what a drunk man says to his friends? That was just talk. I don't talk about feelings with my men so don't pay any mind to it."

Seras looked up into his eye and smiled. "I shouldn't have been listening anyway, I didn't mean to, it's just--- "

Pip didn't know what possessed him to do what he did next. He didn't know if it was because he had wanted to since the minute he saw her or the way she was looking at him at that moment. Oh the hell with it, he thought. Pip put his arms around Seras waist and pulled her against him and hugged her gently.

"It's okay, Seras." He whispered into her ear.

Seras was taken back by the hug. She fought her first reaction to throw him across the room. The hug felt nice, not like he was trying to come on to her at all and she didn't feel threatened by it. When he whispered into her ear, Seras wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes when Pip stroked her short hair. Although, she would never admit it, this moment was the happiest one she could remember since she had become a vampire. And a small voice inside of her, one that Seras pretended not to hear, told her that Pip's chances of getting a nice girl had suddenly gotten much better.


End file.
